damage to buildings. israeli air strikes on hezbollah continued overnight after the deadliest day of conflict across the border in decades. tens of thousands have fled for safety in southern lebanon, after israel warned people to evacuate areas where it claimed hezbollah was storing weapons. world leaders gather in new york for the un general assembly , there's a sense of growing crisis — we'll speak to our correspondents there and across the middle east. and our other main story this hour — sir keir starmer will use his first labour conference speech as prime minister to say there is �*light at the end of the tunnel�* — after his gloomy warnings on britain's economy. hello, welcome to bbc news now, three hours of fast—moving news, interviews and reaction.

the powerful lebanese militant group hezbollah says it has attacked military targets in a series of rocket salvos into northern israel, following israeli air strikes in lebanon on monday which lebanon says killed 558 people. the israeli military said more than 20 rockets were launched from lebanon, some of which were intercepted by air defences. sirens have sounded over northern israel this morning, and distant booms were heard in the galilee region. yesterday, the military said a million people in and around the northern city of haifa took refuge in shelters because of hezbollah rockets. overnight, residents fleeing the israeli bombardment in southern lebanon crammed roads to reach temporary shelters in beirut. the israeli strikes made monday

the deadliest day in lebanon in decades — the idf says it hit around 1,600 targets which it described as hezbollah cruise missiles, rockets and drones. washington is sending a small number of additional troops to the region, as the sense of crisis deepens. the biden administration says it will present concrete plans for ending the violence in lebanon at the un general assemby this week. the european union's foreign policy chief, josep borrell, warned that the conflict was spiralling into a full—fledged war. that is indeed the fear right now. in a moment we will speak to our correspondent lina sinjab in beirut, but first, yolande knell is injerusalem. reports in the past few minutes

orso reports in the past few minutes or so of further rocket attacks into northern israel, and reports from hezbollah that military bases have been targeted. military bases have been targeted-— military bases have been tarueted. ~ . . ., targeted. what are you hearing? yes, hezbollah _ targeted. what are you hearing? yes, hezbollah said _ targeted. what are you hearing? yes, hezbollah said it _ targeted. what are you hearing? yes, hezbollah said it hit - yes, hezbollah said it hit military sites, we have not heard about that, but certainly a town very close to the lebanon border has seen buildings damaged and they have been fires raging there after it was hit by rockets. people in the north of the country remains very much on edge. of course, priorto remains very much on edge. of course, prior to this escalation, tens of thousands of people had been evacuated from their homes due to the cross—border fighting that has gone on since the october war started in gaza, and we have really seen now that area of hezbollah rockets, that area being targeted has expanded further, reaching cities like

haifa in the north. strikes in the past few hours have hit in southern lebanon, areas seen as hezbollah strongholds. the israeli military says it has been hitting launched sides fought rockets, weapons stores and command centres. yesterday it was something like 1600 hezbollah targets at the israeli military said were hit at what it called the peak of its operation, this very intense aerial bombardment and the assessment was from the israeli military that tens of thousands of hezbollah rockets have been put out of use. lina, we have been watching a press briefing from the health ministry. 558 people is the new death toll for yesterday, the deadliest day in lebanon since the end of the civil war in 1990. can you give us a sense

of how people are feeling in beirut today? it of how people are feeling in beirut today?— beirut today? it is a great sense of— beirut today? it is a great sense of anger, _ beirut today? it is a great sense of anger, but - beirut today? it is a great sense of anger, but also l beirut today? it is a great. sense of anger, but also of feet — sense of anger, but also of fear. people have been saying for the — fear. people have been saying for the past year that they don't _ for the past year that they don't want to see lebanon dragged into a full—fledged war and what is happening, and what happened — and what is happening, and what happened yesterday in the south of lebanon, isjust reminding people — of lebanon, isjust reminding peeple of— of lebanon, isjust reminding people of the 2006 war, of the mass _ people of the 2006 war, of the mass exodus of people running away, — mass exodus of people running away, thousands of families have — away, thousands of families have fled their cities and towns _ have fled their cities and towns in southern lebanon towards _ towns in southern lebanon towards the north and people are packed, jammed in their cars. — are packed, jammed in their cars, looking for shelters and houses, _ cars, looking for shelters and houses, even reaching beirut, where — houses, even reaching beirut, where the _ houses, even reaching beirut, where the government have allocated at least five schools to turn — allocated at least five schools to turn into shelters. the number— to turn into shelters. the number of people, mostly civilians. _ number of people, mostly civilians, and everyone you talk — civilians, and everyone you talk to _ civilians, and everyone you talk to here in beirut has a relative _ talk to here in beirut has a relative or a friend that was

targeted or displaced. it is chaos, _ targeted or displaced. it is chaos, it _ targeted or displaced. it is chaos, it is fear, and it is also _ chaos, it is fear, and it is also a _ chaos, it is fear, and it is also a huge sense of anger that they— also a huge sense of anger that they dont— also a huge sense of anger that they don't want to live this war — they don't want to live this war it _ they don't want to live this war it is _ they don't want to live this war. it is the start of the school _ war. it is the start of the school year. people want to live — school year. people want to live normally, they want to send — live normally, they want to send their kids to school, they want _ send their kids to school, they want to— send their kids to school, they want to have a peaceful life but they— want to have a peaceful life but they feel there is a great sense — but they feel there is a great sense of— but they feel there is a great sense of injustice here with the inappropriate, indiscriminate attacks that israel— indiscriminate attacks that israel is _ indiscriminate attacks that israel is conducting in lebanon, saying it is now heading _ lebanon, saying it is now heading hezbollah, but in fact it is civilians that are being targeted and mainly areas that are full— targeted and mainly areas that are full of civilians that are targeted. are full of civilians that are targeted-— are full of civilians that are tarueted. ., ., targeted. you mentioned the desperation _ targeted. you mentioned the desperation of _ targeted. you mentioned the desperation of these - targeted. you mentioned the desperation of these people | desperation of these people trying to move away from southern lebanon, getting into their cars and doing whatever they can to get to somewhere safe further from the border. our colleagues at bbc arabic have been talking to two people who made the journey towards beirut in their cars.

translation: we all received messages at home but from different numbers and names. the message said we had to flee our neighbourhood because it was close to sites that would be hit, and close to weapons depots. afterwards, the whole of southern lebanon began to be hit. more than 100 towns were rocked by blasts. it was a massacre. we had to flee to save our lives and of course we got stuck on the road as the main highway was packed with cars heading north, in the direction of the capital, beirut. but in the end we arrived, thank god. we spent around eight hours on the road — we spent around eight hours on the road from the south to hear _ the road from the south to hear. during those eight hours we had — hear. during those eight hours we had to— hear. during those eight hours we had to stop for ten or 15 minutes— we had to stop for ten or 15 minutes every now and then on the road — minutes every now and then on the road because of the heavy traffio — the road because of the heavy traffic. all the cars were heading towards beirut. there

were _ heading towards beirut. there were about 12 lanes of traffic, and despite that, the cars were moving — and despite that, the cars were moving very slowly because of the heavily congested traffic. all the — the heavily congested traffic. all the way we heard the sounds of explosions and missiles stop the children were terrified and panicked. they could not stop screaming. all the women were scared — screaming. all the women were scared it — screaming. all the women were scared. it was really scary and terrifvind _ i'm sure people have been sharing their stories with you as well, but have we heard from hezbollah today? we as well, but have we heard from hezbollah today?— hezbollah today? we have not heard any _ hezbollah today? we have not heard any statement, - hezbollah today? we have not heard any statement, apart i hezbollah today? we have not i heard any statement, apart from announcing that they have launched these rockets and they are targeting military sites in israel. but the statement from hezbollah has been consistent since the start of this war, following the attack on october the 7th, which is that they are going to support the

palestinians, they are going to keep launching rockets until the attack on gaza stops, until there is a ceasefire and a deal in gaza. of course, so many of the hezbollah supporters, even though they have paid a high price, they understand their position, especially with the continuous attacks against hezbollah. they do support the position of hezbollah, but the wider view here in lebanon is that they don't want to be dragged into war simply because hezbollah wants to support the palestinians. in fact, their support of the palestinians launching these rockets is not actually changing the balance of power inside israel, nor saving civilians in gaza. so there is this debate ongoing in lebanon, is a spit of views. although this past week made people more angry with israel, more angry with the israeli atrocities that are practised in lebanon, and they do compare the attacks on lebanon to

attacks on gaza that are disproportionate and indiscriminate, hitting civilians more than hamas or hezbollah targets.— civilians more than hamas or hezbollah targets. lina, thank ou. hezbollah targets. lina, thank vom there _ hezbollah targets. lina, thank vom there is— hezbollah targets. lina, thank you. there is a _ hezbollah targets. lina, thank you. there is a growing - hezbollah targets. lina, thank you. there is a growing sense | you. there is a growing sense of crisis and also fear in northern israel and many people have also had to leave their homes. we have some pictures that have just come to us about what people in northern israel are going through, taking through someone �*s car and you can see a rocket coming through the sky and hitting a target there in israel. what i'll be hearing from the israeli leadership, from benjamin netanyahu, to try and reassure people? netanyahu, to try and reassure --eole? ~ ., netanyahu, to try and reassure ”eole?t ., netanyahu, to try and reassure --eole?~ . , people? what message is he aaivin ? i people? what message is he giving? i mean, _ people? what message is he giving? i mean, people- people? what message is he giving? i mean, people have| giving? i mean, people have been asked to show resilience in the coming days. there is broad public support in israel for an intensification of israeli military efforts

against hezbollah. people feel that what has been going on in the north is intolerable. they want hezbollah very much pushed away from the border so that it cannot continue to launch the sort of attacks that have led to tens of thousands of people being displaced from their homes. the israeli military has been saying that hezbollah is using people as human shields, putting its weapons deliberately in civilian areas in southern lebanon, has used footage that it says it shows missiles, including cruise missiles, including cruise missiles, being hidden in homes in villages in lebanon, and it is very aware of the criticism about the numbers of civilian casualties. what the israeli prime minister has been talking about is how there is a need to restore what he called the security balance in the north of the country, and israeli leaders have not been saying really what the timeline is for

this operation, not giving any indication of how long they could go on for. the big question is whether there could be an israeli ground invasion into southern lebanon, and we know that there are something like two entire military divisions that are now based in the north of the country that would have some of that capability, but that would be a much more risky prospect for israel if it was to go down that route, much riskier than the current aerial bombardment. hezbollah, we have been told by senior israeli officials, you know, this has meant they had been forced to accept a diplomatic solution, but the analysis is that that is quite unlikely. i mean, hezbollah has said, as we have been hearing, that it will carry on with it fire into israel until there is a gaza ceasefire, and when it comes to fighting israel this is very much at the core of why hezbollah exists in the first place, going back to the 1980s.

good to have you updating us. thank you both forjoining us. a few things to update you on that have happened in the last few minutes. we have heard from one of israel �*s top military chiefs on that timeline what might happen today in terms of the military strategy. one military chief says "we must not give hezbollah a break and attacks will be accelerated today". that has just come through to us in the past few minute. and on the diplomacy, we will talk about this over the next hour or so. what is happening at the un with the us say they will present some kind of concrete plans looking at de—escalation. the us national security adviser has also said that he believes the us can still find a path forward on de—escalation in terms of the northern border. two things we will talk about more with our security correspondent in a moment, but first i want to show you a map.

this is where the israeli airstrikes have been targeted. this map is based on data from lebanon's national news agency from monday. the israeli military says that throughout monday it hit around 1,600 sites across lebanon. the strikes were mostly concentrated in the south but they did reach further east, as you can see. let's speak to our security correspondent, frank gardner. firstly, can we talk about those dots that you can see on the map, and just how many there are. the sheer volume of missiles and attacks on both sides. missiles and attacks on both sides, , ., missiles and attacks on both sides. , ., , ., sides. so, israel says that they have _ sides. so, israel says that they have hit _ sides. so, israel says that they have hit 1600 - sides. so, israel says that| they have hit 1600 targets sides. so, israel says that i they have hit 1600 targets in lebanon since they began what they are calling operation, northern arrows, with the aim of clearing hezbollah away from the border and taking away the threat of these missiles being fired across the border. but, of course, there is a massive amount of collateral damage and i hate that word, basically it means civilians getting killed,

just as they were in 2006 and before that in 1996, and israel says that they take great care to avoid civilian casualties but that has not really been borne out by the facts on the ground. there is no doubt that certainly hezbollah has, to some extent, used civilian infrastructure to hide some of its weaponry. it is not going to put them out in very obvious military barracks that can be seen from space and then targeted, they are going to hide them. but, nevertheless, there is an extraordinarily high death toll here. most of those impacts have been in southern lebanon. a small amount have been up in the valley, a hezbollah stronghold. and of course i have been the very targeted chris lyddon

strikes in southern beirut, very much a hezbollah stronghold. they have been various red lines crossed as far as hezbollah is concerned, and yet curiously, they seem to be pulling their punches, hezbollah. they have retaliated, they have fired munitions further south in israel than they have in the past, or at least further south than they have done recently. into haifa, israel �*s commercial port on the mediterranean. but they have so far largely refrained from hitting big civilian centres of population because they know that would bring a massive israeli retaliation, and possibly even bring in the us as well because it has got warships offshore with washington saying to israel, "we have got your back". what are our "we have got your back". what are your thoughts _ "we have got your back". what are your thoughts on _ "we have got your back". what are your thoughts on the - are your thoughts on the israeli message we are hearing that they are escalating in order to de—escalate? that they are escalating in order to de-escalate? well, israel order to de-escalate? well, israel "s _ order to de-escalate? well, israel 's aims _ order to de-escalate? well, israel 's aims in _ order to de-escalate? well, israel 's aims in all - order to de-escalate? well, israel 's aims in all of - order to de-escalate? well, israel 's aims in all of this i israel �*s aims in all of this are pretty clear. i'm not sure if they are achievable, but

they are clear, which is to so degrade hezbollah, and so punish it that they remove that threat on the northern border. there is a lot of political pressure that has been building over recent months after nearly a year of hezbollah �*s cross—border attacks with israeli retaliation, the casualties have been much bigger on the lebanese side of the border, but nevertheless there have been casualties and displacements on the israeli side. there is a lot of political pressure on the benjamin netanyahu government to deal with this problem once and for all and there seems to be what they are trying to do. the war in gaza has kind of reached a bit of an impasse, where there is no ceasefire. well, there is a ceasefire plan, but neither side will agree to it. so, while that is just left bubbling away, israel is turning its attention, having moved its 98th division up having moved its 98th division up to the north stop i don't

think they want to do a ground incursion. they know that that would be extremely costly in terms of men and material. israel have got a bloody nose from doing that in 2006 and i was covering that war from jerusalem at the time, and the commander of the israeli air force said early on "we have got this, we can do this from the air". they couldn't. they could not deplete thoroughly hezbollah �*s munitions and its forces from the air. this time they have had a lot more effect, partly due to the shock and surprise and horror of the pager and walkie—talkie attacks, but also by the precision air strikes that have taken out the leadership force, which is a rather more elite infantry unit within hezbollah that are trained to do a cross—border raid. this is something that terrifies the israeli citizens in the north, that hezbollah will do a repeat

of what hamas did in the south of what hamas did in the south of israel on october the 7th last year, namely, streaming across the border, carry out some attacks, grab hostages, and take them back over the border into lebanon. so this force has been training to do that. they still exist but the leadership has been targeted and defeated —— maxi radwan. thank you, thank you so much. let's look at the live pictures we are getting. as we were discussing a short time ago we are getting news wires and some new copy in from the agency is telling us about the very latest that is happening on the border, and israel �*s military now said the idea is striking hezbollah target, and in terms of diplomacy, jake sullivan on the other hand saying that the us believes it can still find a path forward on de—escalation

of the northern border. stay with us, more from the middle east coming up here on bbc news.

welcome back. let's show you a shot that we have just had popped up. it is of the coastline there of lebanon and you can see smoke in the air as we also hear that the israeli military is striking hezbollah targets in lebanon. the health ministry has said 558 people have been killed, including 50 children. that means this is the deadliest day we have seen in lebanon since the end of the civil war in 1990. we can now speak to a lebanese member of parliament from the progressive left party. good to have you here on bbc news. tell me your reaction today to this new death toll, we have heard this

from the health ministry, 558 people including 50 children, and what is happening in the country at the moment. this number has _ country at the moment. this number has been _ country at the moment. try 3 number has been updated and it is now 580, i think. also 58 children and 94 women. but this tells us a lot about how israel is attacking lebanon. i mean, the war that it is waging, it is notjust on hezbollah, it is on all these people. for us, the kind of damage that these attacks cannot be explained. this is the largest death toll since the civil war in one day. it is unimaginable, the amount of damage and the repercussions it will have on our people and on our economy and on our nation as a whole.- on our economy and on our nation as a whole. can i ask ou, nation as a whole. can i ask you. there _ nation as a whole. can i ask you. there is _ nation as a whole. can i ask you, there is this _ nation as a whole. can i ask you, there is this absence l nation as a whole. can i ask| you, there is this absence of sovereign control in lebanon because hezbollah operates like a state within a state. correct. a state within a state.

correct-— a state within a state. correct. ., . . ~ , a state within a state. correct. ., ., ., ~ , ., correct. you are a member of parliament. _ correct. you are a member of parliament. what _ correct. you are a member of parliament. what can - correct. you are a member of parliament. what can you - correct. you are a member of parliament. what can you do | correct. you are a member of i parliament. what can you do to help people in lebanon? taste parliament. what can you do to help people in lebanon? we have been posing _ help people in lebanon? we have been posing hezbollah _ help people in lebanon? we have been posing hezbollah for - help people in lebanon? we have been posing hezbollah for so - been posing hezbollah for so long and focusing on the issue of our sovereignty and hezbollah has compromised us for so long, hijacking the state and this is what they did on october the 8th, but having said that, also we cannot accept the kind of attacks that is taking place in our nation. the amount of attacks and the amount of destruction that is taking place, we have tens of thousands of lebanese people being displaced right now. they have nowhere to go. just seems like collateral damage to them. if they see a target they just go and attack, regardless of the civilians. they alleviate responsibility for themselves why saying they have sent out messages warning civilians they should clear out in the spaces

where they have an ounce up there might be hezbollah. but civilly is don't know where that is. if it is just a pretext to remove responsible is themselves. —— responsible as he. they have caused such damage and killing civilians to micro paramedics have also been killed and ambulances targeted. so you see the destruction left, right and centre. when ou sa left, right and centre. when you say that _ left, right and centre. when you say that israel - left, right and centre. when you say that israel cannot i you say that israel cannot continue to do this, the prime minister has announced he will go to new york to the un general assembly. what hope of any kind of action from the un and who could influence the situation at the moment? we seem to have lost that line. let us take you back to the pictures that we have. we have

him back. eva himjoins us pictures that we have. we have him back. eva him joins us now from beirut. i hope you are back with us. we have heard in the last few hours that the prime minister is going to the un general assembly in new york and i wonder what influence he can have their and what your hopes are for any diplomatic solution to what is happening? i think the prime minister should do all he can with lebanon �*s friends and allies and try to get a ceasefire as soon as possible. internally we should also tell hezbollah that they should allow for these diplomatic solutions to bring back stability to the south. the kind of damage and the pressure that this is causing on everyone should allow for diplomatic solutions, especially after the last statement that have been put out by the iranian president, which were very clear that they

believe hezbollah cannot do this on their own, and they might want to turn lebanon into another gaza. i think it is in everybody �*s interest, especially the lebanese, to have a diplomatic solution as soon as possible. start discussions and i hope the prime minister will be successful but i don't have very much hope on that because the israelis seem very adamant about continuing their attacks and aggression. i about continuing their attacks and aggression.— about continuing their attacks and aggression. i am afraid we have to leave _ and aggression. i am afraid we have to leave it _ and aggression. i am afraid we have to leave it there. - and aggression. i am afraid we have to leave it there. thank l have to leave it there. thank you very much forjoining us. the attacks continue on both sides. israel is also currently striking hezbollah targets stop more coming up. hello again. where it was so wet yesterday across parts of england in particular,

it is a lot drier today. mind you, it is fairly cloudy. what we have as we go through the rest of the week is of further rain as we go through the middle part, and it is going to turn colder, especially so by friday, when we will be adding in some wind chill to the lower temperatures. so today we have yesterday's low pressure pushing away, another weather front moving south across scotland, introducing some rain that will turn showerier as we go through the day, but who gets the odd heavy burst across fife and lothian. eventually that will get into northern england, and for northern ireland, the rest of england and wales it is a mixture of bright spells, sunny intervals and some scattered showers. it is also going to feel fresher than yesterday, especially in the north, because we are starting to pull in a northerly wind behind our weather front. that weather front is going to continue to sink southwards tonight, with it showers. there will be clear skies around, showers across south—west england, drifting into central southern england, and it will be cold enough in sheltered glens and rural parts of northern

ireland for a touch of frost, as temperatures slip just below freezing. but again, a cooler night across the board than recent nights. as we head from wednesday into thursday, you can see how we have got the next low pressure pushing steadily northwards and eastwards, cooler air comes in right behind it, across the country, so you will feel the draught literally during the course of friday. but back to wednesday, we have rain coming in from the south—west. some of this will be heavy as it pushes into south—west england and wales, getting into central, southern england by the end of the day. moving north, it is bright spells and showers, with temperatures 10 to about 17, so temperatures dipping once again. into thursday, the rain continues to push northwards, into northern england, scotland and northern ireland. there will be heavily showers following on behind. to the west, some brighter skies, but also, quite blustery winds, especially along the east coast, and these temperatures 11 to about 17 degrees. moving on, then, into

the latter part of the week, it is friday that you will notice the wind chill. it will feel cold, and it is going to turn colder as we go through the weekend, with the chance of wet and windy weather coming our way, sunday into monday.

this is bbc news, the headlines. sirens sound across

northern israel as hezbollah launches new rocket attacks.